Own a Jet for $250,000

FIRST LOOK A NEW TYPE AT APPLE’S NEW OF FLIGHT LIGHTNING 12.9” IPAD PRO TRAINING A REAL THREAT? How much better is It? They own their own jets Is it a real hazard for aircraft?

THESECRET PRIVATE JET MAGAZINE CITATIONS FALL 2015.2 OWN A JET FOR $250,000

TAKING ON THE BLACK HOLE THE SPECIAL DANGERS OF NIGHT-TIME LANDINGS TIPS TO FLYING THE BEST APPROACH HERE ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS MAIN ATTRACTION EMBRAER HAS BUILT A PILOT’S DISNEY WORLD IN FLORIDA Advanced Type Rating Courses for Citation Aircraft

PIC / SIC INITIAL, UPGRADE, AND RECURRENT TRAINING FOR:

CE-500 Citation Series Type Rating CE-510 Citation Mustang Type Rating CE-525 CitationJet CJ Series Type Rating CE-650 Citation III, VI, VII Series Type Rating Aircraft Model Differences Training 772.223.1219

www.premierjettraining.com

MAILING & HANGAR 2324 SE Liberator Lane, #104 Stuart, FL 34996 Corporate Office 2382 Curtis King Blvd. Fort Pierce, FL 34946 772.223.1219 Sales • Training • Delivery

Your Turbine Transition Specialists

jetAVIVA is an authority on owner/operator ﬂown turbine aircraft, offering acquisition and sales services backed with the experience of completing hundreds of transactions. Furthermore, we provide acceptance, delivery, and training services in all production light turbine aircraft. jetAVIVA is focused on providing Clients with comprehensive services to choose the right aircraft and operate it with maximum efficiency and safety.

Learn what jetAVIVA can do for you at www.jetAVIVA.com or contact us directly at [email protected] or +1.702.551.2055 contents 11.15

12 16 24 30 34 41 FLYING THE DISNEY WORLD LIGHTNING A A CLOSE-UP MAKE IT BRIEF MOS IS BOSS BLACK-HOLE FOR PILOTS REAL THREAT? LOOK AT Here are the A TAF-like APPROACH Just up the road In all, lightning PREMIER JET components to forecast for strikes about 100 ﬂy the perfect more than 2,100 If you’re a pilot from the famous theme park is times a second TRAINING approach. airports in the who likes to do around the world. The Florida- BY THOMAS P. United States it in the dark, an attraction for pilots just as big. Is it a real hazard based company TURNER and its territories. beware of the for aircraft?. not only gives BY SCOTT DENNSTAEDT dreaded black BY LYN FREEMAN BY BILL COX you training, but hole. they’re all about BY BILL COX selling you time and ﬂexibility. BY LYN FREEMAN

20 CESSNA CITATION: THE BEGINNING The MS-760, Jetstar and Learjet did come ﬁrst, but the Citation 500 may have been the true primogenitor of the civilian jet age. BY BILL COX

4 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2

contents 11.15

DEPARTMENTS 50 COMING SOON TO A COCKPIT NEAR YOU, THE IPAD PRO 8 PUBLISHER’S LETTER Apple’s new iPad Pro could The answer to the winter doldrums give you the screen real estate you need to make ﬂying with a tablet more productive, but 10 LIFESTYLES on the other hand, it’s pretty big. The best new gadgets BY WAYNE RASH JR. available to pilots on display. 54 HAS YOUR ATTENTION 46 DRONES: WHAT’S THE TO PTS SLIPPED? REAL RISK? BY NEIL SINGER With thousands more drones taking ﬂight all the time, the situation is more than serious. BY PAM BROWN

6 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 FALL 2015.2 VOLUME 2/NUMBER 5

AJ PUBLICATIONS STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lyn Freeman

MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Carter

SENIOR EDITOR Bill Cox

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hans Lubke

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT William Henrys

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Nina Harris, Paul Simington, Katrina Bradelaw, Paul Sanchez, Wayne Rash Jr.

ART DIRECTOR Robbie Destocki

PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Bowen, Mary Schwinn, James Lawrence, Lyn Freeman, Jodi Butler, Gregory L. Harris

PUBLISHER Thierry Pouille

PRODUCTION MANAGER Guillaume Fabry

ADVERTISING MANAGER Meredith Howard Telephone: +1 (561) 841-1551 ext. 7 [email protected]

CORPORATE OFFICES 1931 Commerce Lane, Suite 5 Jupiter, FL 33458 Telephone: +1 (561) 841-1551 Fax: +1 (954) 252-3935

RATES AND MEDIA KIT INFORMATION ONLINE AT www.ContrailsMag.com or call +1 (561) 841-1551

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, REPRINTS, BACK ISSUES please log onto www.ContrailsMag.com or call +1 (561) 841-1551

CONTACT THE EDITOR: [email protected]

CONTACT THE PUBLISHER: [email protected]

©2014 CONTRAILS Magazine is published quarterly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Please send comments to the attention of the publisher.

PRINTED IN THE USA.

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 7 Publisher’s Letter

THE ANSWER TO THE WINTER DOLDRUMS By Thierry Pouille

always feel as if I need and the very private resort there shares the same name. You fly an attitude adjustment into Canouan Island airport (CIW) and board a private boat when we’re making to take the rest of the way to the resort. The resort’s 22 accom- this transition from the modations are spread all along the island’s beaches, giving you I warm and wonderful the ultimate in idyllic tropical privacy. Should you ever want summer months to the to leave your hideaway, there are two restaurants and a spa for routine of winter. Daylight your pleasures. Savings Time ends. It’s Next we (I say “we” because I am not foolish enough to attempt dark outside at 4:30 in the an adventure like this without taking my wife!) visited the Jumby afternoon and, of course, Bay Resort, which several times I’ve heard described as simply the weather over most of the the finest resort in all of the Caribbean. Surely it’s on everyone’s United States is, well, wintry. short list. The white-powdered sandy beaches are honestly Given the alleged effects of Global Warming, you just don’t breathtaking. You can relax in one of the thatched bohios or the know what kind of weather this winter will bring. To tell the hammocks strung truth, sometimes it all makes me a bit grumpy. Or at least so my between the palms. Canouan Island airport staff tells me! It’s a great place to I also confess that I spend a fair amount of time just gazing watch the sun go at the map of the entire world in my office. It brings up special down over Antigua. memories from remarkable trips we’ve taken to just about every ABC News and inch of the world, and it also serves as fertile new ground for me Good Morning, to discover new destinations that so far we’ve left untouched. America! selected This particular day, after grumping about the weather and Carlisle Bay in grumping about the fact that’s it’s already dark when I leave the Antiqua one of the office, I found myself “zoomed in,” if you will, to that part of the top 10 Caribbean world that starts at my front door here in Florida and continues resorts — period. down across the Caribbean and on into South America. This resort gets At first blush, it sounds like such an expanse — Florida all the great marks as a way to South America! But in truth it’s only about 1,500 nm, a family destination cakewalk for us kerosene burners. In fact, if you really want to so take a look at take a good look, it breaks down like this: The first 500 miles their website before cover the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos; the next 500 miles you make your final cover Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; and the selection. last 500 miles cover a remaining few islands before crossing the We also toured the shoreline into South America. amazing Viceroy and Malliouhana resorts in Anguilla, which Why, I don’t know, but suddenly my grumpiness lifted when was worth every drop of jet fuel to get there. On our way back, this silly idea came into my head. What would it be like to have we also stopped in the Dominican Republic to visit Casa Colo- breakfast in Florida, lunch in the Virgin Islands and dinner in nial and the Gansevoort, a member of a hotel group that even the Grenadines? I couldn’t think of a single reason not to do it. has a location in New York City. Both of these destinations are So off I went and accomplished that very dream in a single day. the kinds of place where you can literally spend a week or two Did a lot for my overall mood! and never have to leave the resort. What a wonderful luxury. Of course, I do have to confess that once I was flying over all So there you go — my answer to the winter doldrums! that turquoise water, I couldn’t resist adding a stop here and All these properties will be featured in articles forthcoming in a stop there, primarily to islands with which I was not totally the next issues of Contrails, so stay tuned. If you don’t want to familiar. When the dust had settled, I’d visited eight different wait, call our sister company, Air Journey, to grab a spot in any islands and 15 tropical resorts! Several were just too cool not to of these unique and amazing places! tell you about. First was Petit St Vincent, known locally as PSV, an island Happy Contrails! 40 statute miles south of St. Vincent in the Grenadine islands, Thierry Pouille, Publisher

8 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2

LifeStyles

Bush Pilot Course Being able to put your airplane down on a 400-foot gravel bar in the middle of a river or on the meandering roller coaster of a back-country airstrip is truly an art. So many components are at play — winds, altitude, animals and runway potholes big enough to hide an elephant. Don Lee is a lifelong Alaskan bush pilot willing to share his decades of experience in the wilds with you. Lee runs Alaska Floats and Skis on Christiansen Lake just outside of Talkeetna, Alaska. Students come to him from around the globe to master flying in the bush. They learn how to fly on floats, skis or tundra tires, adding immeasurably to their flying skills. Lee’s base of operations puts his airplanes within a few a minutes’ flight time of Denali National Park, home to the 20,320-foot Mount Denali, the tall- est point in North America. He offers float-plane ratings, bush-pilot training and ski flying. Park your PA-46 and learn to land skis on glaciers, to fly floats into remote mountain lakes or, after installing Don’s 31-inch bush tires, to set down safely in places you’d never imagine an airplane could go. The fee for the Alaska Floats and Ski courses includes lodging, ground and dual, a check ride and the examiner’s fee (to get your float rating), if required. One thing is certain: You’ll learn more about flying than you could ever imagine. For more info, go to Lee’s website at AlaskaFloats.com or call Now Hear This 907.733.4500. him at A new Voice Crew Alert System (VCAS) has been designed specifically for your TBM. VCAS is a small 3-ounce module that you can install in seconds between your headset and the headset panel jack. Using a pressure sensor, it will trigger a “don oxygen mask” voice alert at an altitude you can set (between 7,000 and 14,900 feet) to alert you of depressurizations long before you are affected by hypoxia. An optional cable can be wired to the Master Warning and Master Caution lights that will generate “check Master Warning” and “check Master Caution” messages. In addition, a connection to the stall-warning system generates a “Stall, Stall” message, eliminating any confusion with the other tones. Pressing a button on the VCAS module will also annunciate the current cabin altitude as a check of the sensor and all circuitry. A fail-safe feature ensures that your headset will always be connected to your radios. More information including price and photos, is available at DonMask.com.

10 I CONTRAILSRAI I FALLL 2015.2015.2 Now I See! Sporty’s is now offering the AV1 Aviator Sun- glasses, which eliminate the need to switch back and forth from your corrected lenses to see charts or even details on your glass screen. The AV1s come in three styles, all featuring a stainless-steel frame with thin, flexible temples and an adjustable nose bridge. These sunglasses provide maximum comfort for prolonged use in the cockpit. Weighing in at a mere 1 ounce, it’s easy to forget you have them on. The non-polarized nylon lenses are more resistant to scratches and offer higher definition and outstanding optical clarity at a lighter weight. A small portion at the bottom of the lenses is magnified to help with reading. The remain- der of the lens is unmagnified. Lenses are available in +1.5, +2.0, or +2.5 spot diopters. Just as important, these sunglasses offer 100 percent UV, UVB and UVC protection. See more about the AV1 Aviator Sunglasses at Sportys.com. Bring the Luxury Alonng With the popularity boom of coffee products over tthe last decade, plenty of us just aren’t comfort- able facing thet day withoutou our espresso. Thhank heavens for Thehe All-newl e the Handdpresso Wild Dome- Abingdon’sbi gd pod. Add the groundo coffeeffe of your choice, hold the unit over EliseE is WatchW tc your aircraft’s demitassee (!), and InternationalIn nation aviationaviatio watch spe- you’re in business. Startrt your brew at cialistc t AbinAbingdonon hahas justst relreleasedd Handpresso.com or att 888.389.4123. the newest version of its No. 1 traravelel watcwatch, the eleelegantant ElisElise. NotNo only is thehe modelmod new aand The Crystal Clear Kayak improved,im oved, noww it ccomess in eight difffferenterent co colors!ors! The The Elise Elise has has Every now and then you stumble across somethinget thathat pegsp the ffun meter. beeenen the offiofficialfficial watwatchch for for th theAir A This is a perfect example. Clear Blue Hawaii makes the world’s only transparent,nspa t Race ClClassic, theh oldestold st airi rrace foldable kayak. It fits in a small backpack or in the backck oof yourur plaplane,, weighweighingng in the country, for thee past threthree in at a modest 26 pounds. years.ears. The stylist watchwatch is madmadede The Napali is supported by a high-tech, durable and corrosion-resistanton r tant of surgical-grade stainless steelst internal carbon kevlar frame system that comes equippedpped withth a tratransparentsparent and displays three timeme zoneszones.. military-grade urethane skin. Snap it together,er, ssit in the seseat, and yoyouu’re the Sett one to Zulu time, one to yoyour captain of your own glass-bottom boat ride! Learn more fromm the company’smpany localocal time zone and the third forr website, ClearBlueHawaii.com oror cacallll 707.202.8346.707.202.8346. your destination. The Elise alsosoo featuresatures a sapphire crystal facfacee and mother-of-pearl dial and comescom s in rose gold, yellow gold,d, IP blue,blue, IP LS pinknk and IP brown plating. FinFindd out more at TheAbingdonCo.com.

FALLL2 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 11 Flying At Night FLYING THE BLACK-HOLE APPROACH IF YOU’RE A PILOT WHO LIKES TO DO IT IN THE DARK, BEWARE OF THE DREADED BLACK HOLE.

By Bill Cox

Even the name sounds foreboding, as well it should. Fortunately, we’re not talking about the Enterprise boldly going where no one has gone before, but flying into black holes right here on Earth is unquestionably a dangerous procedure. By definition, a black hole approach isn’t a problem unless you’re flying at night (duh), and that alone introduces a higher level of risk. In its simplest form, a black hole approach is one in which an aircraft flies a straight-in approach to a distant, well-lighted runway at night with unlighted topography in between. Many approaches over water or desert subject a pilot to the risk of a black hole, and even some mountainous terrain can interrupt what seems a perfectly normal approach with an unseen ridgeline or peak.

The problem most often arises when pilots are operating at Don’t scratch your head unless you’ve been there. It happens night with no moon or starlight and no easily discernible horizon. more often than you’d believe, and accident investigators have been Airports with an unfamiliar length-to-width ratio and those with an analyzing the reasons for years. A pair of Boeing engineers, Dr. uphill or downhill runway slope can also make it difficult to recog- Conrad Kraft and Dr. Charles Elworth, studied the problem 50 nize the proper descent profile. Featureless terrain illusion can trick years ago after a spate of CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) airline pilots into believing they’re higher than they actually are, causing accidents where pilots inexplicably flew into the ground, often in them to initiate steeper descents. good weather with calm winds and no known hazards.

12 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 13 Night flying is inherently more dangerous than daylight operation, anyway, especially for working pilots who need to fly on demand or on a tight schedule. Owner-flown aircra oen operate in early morning and late evening to allow a full workday in between. For that reason, single-pilot jet or turboprop operators may be especially at risk, considering they oen don’t have the benefit of a second opinion.

14 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 Flying At Night

Accident statistics are rife with reports of what is essentially a duck-under approach, at the appropriate distance, there’s virtually experienced crews in highly sophisticated even in clear skies. That’s because a constant no chance of an optical illusion tricking you aircraft, equipped with the best avionics visual angle does not equal a constant ap- into an under-shoot. in the world, flying into the ground/ocean proach angle. Flying a consistent approach an- I know of one approach that has a stun- while approaching an airport on a long gle will inevitably generate an ever-increasing ning 9-degree slope. The airport at Narsar- straight-in approach in the wee small hours. visual angle as the range decreases. Pilots who suaq, Greenland, near the southern tip of the Accordingly, the researchers had a group attempt to maintain a constant visual angle icecap, is totally surrounded by mountains of Boeing instructor pilots (each with more will fly a vertically curved flight path that will and a fjord that runs right up to within 50 than 10,000 hours) fly a simulator in black- eventually drop below a safe approach angle. yards of the threshold. The only instrument hole conditions entirely by visual reference, In other words, a pilot’s visual acuity of procedure is an NDB/DME that demands without the benefit of an altimeter or glide the outside world becomes unreliable in the a steep, 9-degree descent. That’s 900 feet of slope. Many of the pilots flew excessively low dark. It turns out that believing your eyes altitude loss per mile. A typical light jet or approaches on a slight downsloping vertical at night may be less reliable than trusting turboprop approaching at 120 knots would arc rather than a direct line to the runway and your vestibular senses. This can lead to a need to come bombing downhill at 1,800 subsequently “crashed” short of the threshold. phenomenon inevitably abbreviated by the fpm to avoid the terrain. The minimum is Night flying is inherently more dangerous FAA as GPO (glide-path overestimation). 1,500 feet, so by definition, the airport has than daylight operation, anyway, especially When conditions are exactly right to have a VFR ceiling to get in, even under for working pilots who need to fly on de- (wrong?), the dangers of a black-hole ap- supposed instrument conditions. mand or on a tight schedule. Owner-flown proach can be both deceptive and treacher- Also, consider that in winter when there aircraft often operate in early morning ous. Conditions can seem benign for pilots are only three to four hours of daylight each and late evening to allow a full workday in who aren’t forewarned. Fortunately, there are afternoon, so you’ll be guaranteed to land in between. For that reason, single-pilot jet or a number of ways to sidestep the problem. the dark unless you can pre-plan your arriv- turboprop operators may be especially at The easiest, of course, is simply avoidance. al for that brief window of light. Rather than risk, considering they often don’t have the Don’t yield to the temptation of a convenient fly that steep an approach at night, many benefit of a second opinion. straight-in approach at night unless there’s a pilots operating in VFR conditions descend The analogy of night flying and IFR working ILS. Maintain a safe altitude until below the overcast out over the ocean, aim operations is so close that the FAA once actually reaching the airport, then, fly a for the Simiutaq NDB 42 miles west of the considered a night rating for pilots with- normal downwind, base and final. airport and fly up the Tunugviarfik Fjord to out an instrument ticket below the level of Another method of defeating the optical Narsarsuaq’s uphill Runway 07. ATP. Some foreign countries (Canada and black hole over relatively flat terrain is to use You can check your progress during Australia are two) already demand a night some simple math to assure a safe glide path. the approach with one of aviation’s most rating if you’re not instrument-certified. Regardless of whether the airport in question forgotten instruments, the VSI. Once you’ve Everyone’s vision suffers at night. is equipped with an ILS, you can construct calculated the required vertical speed to Without sunlight, there is limited color your own mental approach (in VFR condi- reach the runway in a straight line, reference and no shadows, both subtle methods of tions) with recommended altitudes, and fly it the VSI occasionally to assure the vertical judging height and distance. Local terrain as religiously as you would a real procedure. speed readout remains consistent. If the VSI knowledge also may become useless after Corporate airplanes are usually equipped isn’t steady, you may be in for a surprise. sunset, even for pilots who are familiar with at least two GPS receivers that can pro- If you feel you need even more of a safety with relevant ground details. vide a countdown of the distance to the run- margin, you can harken back to the advice of Perhaps worst of all, the black-hole way. The standard 3-degree approach normally your instrument instructor. Take your time. syndrome is insidious. It manifests itself requires 300 feet of altitude loss per mile from Fly your simulated glideslope at the slowest most often in reasonable weather, when the airport. If there’s sloping terrain in between possible airspeed consistent with safety. This ceiling and visibility are nowhere near IFR. and a steeper approach is required, you can use will provide more time to properly coordi- In good VFR conditions, ground lights may a 4-degree approach that will stipulate 400 feet nate altitude with distance from the airport. be mistaken for stars, suggesting a nose-high of altitude loss per mile or a 5-degree approach Ground-based flight path lights such as attitude that demands pushing the nose over. that would demand 500 feet down per mile. VASI (visual approach slope indicator) or PAPI Similarly, a bright light very far away may be Pilots with even a modicum of mathemat- (precision approach path indicator) can help in mistaken for a dim one in close. ical smarts can construct a mental glideslope establishing a safe approach, though the colors Conversely, a slight mist or a layer of that will provide a recommended minimum associated with either system become less diaphanous clouds can dilute what little light safe altitude for every mile of the approach. If distinct at extended range. These systems are is available and deceive a pilot into thinking your normal approach speed is 90 knots and usually preset to coincide with the standard ILS an airport is farther away. Flying beneath you’re six miles out at 2,000 feet, you’ll need to (if there is one), and you can follow either to an overcast in remote areas without lights maintain a descent rate of 500 fpm to arrive at the threshold without fear of a CFIT incident. below can appear the same as O-O IMC the threshold as you run out of altitude. Perhaps because of its deceptive nature, operation. Pitch-black conditions can make Pretty obviously, your intermediate flight into black-hole situations can be par- it nearly impossible to determine a sloping altitude checks will be 1,500 feet at four ticularly hazardous. If the weather is good, runway’s angle, either up or downhill. and a half miles, 1,000 feet at three miles and there’s a working ILS or VOR approach, A black-hole approach can seduce any pilot, and 500 feet at one and half miles. If you’re be especially cautious about advising the no matter how learned or experienced, to fly meticulous about adhering to those altitudes controller, “We’ll take the visual.”

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 15 embraer factory tour

DISNEY WORLD FOR PILOTS JUST UP THE ROAD FROM THE FAMOUS THEME PARK IS AN ATTRACTION FOR PILOTS JUST AS BIG. By Lyn Freeman

You might not know this but Brazil-based Embraer is the third largest FACTORY TOUR aircraft manufacturer in the world, just behind Boeing and Airbus. In 2010, do you know what the most delivered light jet in the world was? The Citation, you guess? Nope, the Phenom 100! By 2014, just four years later, Embraer had delivered 300 of them. That’s impressive in any aircraft manufacturer’s books. Last year Cessna sold six of their entry-level jet, the Mustang.

16 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 What’s driving the stampede toward the sleek, new, clean-sheet the highest reliability in its fleet. That’s what the company told us.” design jets? “It’s the aircraft’s performance and high reliability,” To help satisfy the remarkable demand for Phenom 100 and its said a company spokesman. stronger/faster/bigger brother, the Phenom 300, Embraer decided The Phenom 100 was followed quickly by the upgraded Phen- to begin production in America. They broke ground on an im- om 300. “We received an order for 50 Phenoms 300s from NetJets mense facility in Melbourne, Fla., in 2010 and, by the next year, with an option for 75 more. The 50th airplane in that order is they were building airplanes. To date almost a billion dollars’ about to be delivered, and 10 of the options have already been worth of inventory has come from the Melbourne factory. converted. NetJets says its fractional-owned Phenoms have had And the Melbourne facility really is Disney World for the jet pilot. If the fastest-selling shares in the company’s history and also boasts you’re in the market for an executive jet, this is a must-see destination.

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 17 embraer factory tour

You can fly your own plane in and fly more than 16 languages are spoken. But used to create airplane components for out on a demonstration ride in a new all the engineers speak to one another exhaustive testing, on the ground, under Phenom. You can spend time sitting in the digitally extremely well,” said Paulo Pires, controlled conditions. A part is creat- cockpit, marveling at the Prodigy avionics managing director of Embraer’s Engi- ed and put through huge temperature system (the Garmin G1000 customized neering and Technology Center here in swings, tons of vibration and stress testing and on the steroids), and the Phenom 300 the United States. “The Phenoms were the until it breaks. Engineers then fix it, make is equipped with a touch-screen Garmin first Embraer aircraft completely digitally it stronger, and put it right back into the 3000, also featuring the Embraer’s Prodigy designed. We’re a completely paperless test program until they can break it again. enhancements. factory.” “The end result is that a part with an Move upstairs in the Melbourne facility, Engineers can create anything from an expected lifetime of 3,000 hours now and you can begin to imagine and then entire aircraft to individual components lasts 9,000 hours,” Pete Boss, the head of design your own jet. Use a computer virtually. They can test them, see how production in Melbourne, said. app to see the actual accents and color well they’re going to work in the cabin or This infatuation with testing and schemes you select for the fuselage. Then cockpit, test how accessible they’ll be for leading-edge technologies has produced move over to touch and feel the doz- service and so forth. They can even marked results. For example, the Phenoms ens and dozens of color swatches to put on special headsets and walk are part composite and part aluminum. choose upholstery colors, carpets FACTORY through a life-sized version of the Why, you ask, if composite is supposed to or accent colors. You can refine TOUR aircraft. be the latest and greatest? the interior farther by selecting This tidal wave of 21st Century “We’ve done extensive testing to deter- from a huge collection of rich technology at Embraer has made mine how long each component of the hardwood veneers — even granite huge improvements in quality, as aircraft will last if it’s made of aluminum and marble tiles — to give your jet the well as huge savings of both time and or if it’s made of composite,” Boss said. “If ultimate air of luxury, sophistication and money, all with the precision of state-of- the component will have a longer life cycle customization. The facility at Melbourne the-art computers, 3D printers and other if it’s made of composite, then that’s how inequitably redefines the concept of per- zeitgeists from the 21st Century. And we make it. If it’s going to last longer made sonal jet. starting soon in Melbourne, the entire of aluminum, then that’s what we do. We “The Melbourne facility is a reflection production team will be shifting over to don’t believe that all composite is valid for of our commitment to our customers,” tablet computers (think iPad) that are small fuselages.” an Embraer spokesman said. “We created completely 3D. Want to pull up a picture And Embraer will ultimately build a place where the customer can have the of how the gear sits in the bay when it’s non-digital, full physical-scale mockups of full experience, not just in flight, but all retracted. Push a button and, voila, there’s its aircraft to see what else it can discover the way from acquisition of the airplane a 3D view. Want to know the up-to-the- to enhance the customer’s experience. to getting to know a whole company that second status of the avionics installation For example, its data about the typical supports them.” in a specific aircraft? Take a look right Phenom 300 flight indicates passengers The head-turning success of the Phe- now, in 3D. All the information required will sit in their seats for two-three hours nom 100 and 300 is really no accident. for construction or implementation is at a time. Embraer hired legions of people Embraer scans the world for the finest right on the tablet — in 3D. to do just that — sit in a Phenom seat engineers available — truly the world. “In The information on those 3D tablets for two-three hours — and report their the Melbourne engineering facility alone, comes from a deep well of data also experience. Because Embraer focuses on

18 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 building jets, they turned that initial data Phenoms through a series of stations, or At the moment, heavy earthmovers are and the concept for seat design over to a what Embraer calls Equipage. Equipage scratching out a new silhouette that will partner who has lots of experience doing One focuses on the wings, adding hydrau- conjoin the currently operating produc- great interiors and making ultra-com- lics, fuel lines, cables, landing gear, etc. tion facility. That’s where the new Legacy fortable seating, the BMW DesignWorks Equipage Two adds the Prodigy avionics 450, just certified this last August, will be USA. So that’s the kind of comfort Phen- suite; Equipage Three addresses the em- manufactured — again in a paperless, all om passengers now get. pennage, and Equipage Four adds engines digital facility. Another experiment with the full-scale and windows, rigs the flight controls and “We have customers who buy a Phenom mockup discovered another interesting fact. checks all system integration. The aircraft 100 and love it so much that pretty soon Passengers whose seats were next to the fu- is now ready for paint, installation of they’re back to trade up to a Phenom 300,” selage found it uncomfortable to have their cabinetry and sidewalls. Bachmann said. “And after that, they legs resting directly against the flat surface Test flights are not sugar-coated. Each starting eyeballing the seven-nine seat, of the fuselage. Before the aircraft even Phenom 300 is taken right up to 45,000 2,575-mile range Legacy 450.” went into production, Embraer decided feet, and each Phenom 100 goes to FL410. Embraer, with the support of M.I.T. to make their fuselages more oval shaped, After about five hours (and sometimes (yes, that’s the Massachusetts Institute of instead of the traditional round tube. The even less) of airborne testing, the Em- Technology), established an aerospace design also helps to widen the floor space in braers are ready to hand over the custom- technology institute in Brazil in the 1940s, the cabin and added headroom. er. Before the jets go anywhere, Embraer which then leveraged an academic project So Embraer now makes the fuselage has a third party come in and detail/pol- to launch its first aircraft, the Bandeirante. of the Phenom more an oval shape. That ish the aircraft to a blazing sheen. The company’s current market projections extra flare (from making the inside of Moreover, a gal named Nancy is anticipate half of the next decade’s pro- the cabin more oval shaped) resulted in brought in to be an unbiased inspector duction — from airliners to executive jets exponential positive changes in passenger of the finished product. She completes — is headed to the United States. In the comfort. what the company calls the Eyes-of-the- aircraft categories in which they compete, The aircraft production line in Mel- Customer inspection. She’s looking for Embraer has already carved out nearly bourne is nothing short of fascinating even the most minute blemish or scratch a 20 percent market share in business to watch. Older “legacy” aircraft manu- or anomaly, something the Embraer aviation, and in the 70-90 seat commercial factures are still using the same wooden employees who look at the aircraft five sector, Embraer has captured more than carts covered with outdoor carpeting to days a week might not immediately see, 80 percent of the orders. roll their components down the produc- but a customer will. It is a final step Em- If you don’t think you’ve flown in an tion line, not unlike Henry Ford’s vision braer has employed successfully to insure Embraer aircraft by now, you’re likely mis- of building automobiles. Production at the product they deliver is absolutely, taken. Every month, 5 million people in Embraer is from another galaxy. positively the finest aircraft mankind can the U.S. alone fly in Embraer jets, private Embraer’s production line employs the build. When the customer finally comes and commercial. best of the best innovations from manu- to the showroom to pick up the airplane, If you’re even toying with the idea of facturers around the world, including the it can be an emotional moment for both buying a jet you can fly yourself, put Flor- automotive industries. Extensive automa- the buyer and the company employees ida on your itinerary. For you, the new tion, laser accuracies, even robotics join a who work in concert to produce a product Embraer facility in Melbourne might just work force of human beings to escort new they are truly proud of. be the happiest place on earth.

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 19 /22.,1*%$&.72

he Citation 500 was hardly a rose 72'$<<28&$1%8<$1 ($695,000) close to what Eclipse CEO but, by any other name, it may 25,*,1$/&,7$7,21 Vern Raeburn hoped to charge for his T have ushered in the corporate jet )25$6/,77/($6 ÀUVW(FOLSVHV\HDUVODWHU age more than any other airplane. Pretty obviously, 1973 dollars would %\ WRGD\·V VWDQGDUGV WKH ÀUVW &LWDWLRQ $1'$63*2(6)25 be worth far more than 2015 dollars, but (originally called the Fanjet 500 and later 21/<)25 even so, Cessna sold some 350 of the renamed the Citation 1) was perhaps the 7+26(3,/276/22.,1* ÀUVW &LWDWLRQV 7KRXJK 5DHEXUQ QHYHU ultimate entry-level business jet. In 1972, it 72-2,17+(-(76(7$7 UHDOL]HG KLV GUHDP RI WXUQLQJ RXW ZDVRQHRIWKHÀUVWWREHDXWKRUL]HGIRUVLQ- $1(175</(9(/35,&( airplanes a year, he did sell 260 partially JOHSLORWRSHUDWLRQDQGWKHÀUVWLQWKHORQJ <28&$1·7'208&+ completed Eclipse 500s before the com- line of the world’s most popular corporate %(77(57+$17+$7 pany went bankrupt. (Most Eclipse buy- jets, Cessna’s 500 series. Citations brought ers needed to spend another $100,000 on-demand jet travel to folks who otherwise S/P was just the airplane to do it. Within to bring their airplanes to operational would have been stuck with the airlines. D\HDURUWZRRILWVLQWURGXFWLRQWKHÀUVW status, a successful process the new The follow-on Citation 1 S/P could be &LWDWLRQZDVFHUWLÀHGIRUÁLJKWDW)/ company called the Total Eclipse.) ÁRZQZLWKDFUHZRIRQHPDNLQJWKHDLU- and that single pilot up front left room for Today, you can buy an original Citation plane a leader in the trend toward own- seven passengers. 500 for as little as $200,000, and a 1 S/P goes er/pilot operation. That was the market 3HUKDSV PRUH VLJQLÀFDQWO\ WKH &LWD- for only $350,000. For those pilots looking to Cessna hoped to dominate, and the 1 tion was introduced in 1973 at a price join the jet set at an entry-level price, you

20 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 can’t do much better than that. pre-purchase inspection performed on D \HDU RI ÁLJKW WLPH VR D SUHRZQHG It’s true the purchase price on an a candidate jet, an early Citation may Citation may have 8,000 hours or more ROGHU ÀUVWJHQHUDWLRQ XVHG MHW FDQ EH be a worthwhile initial investment in a on the meter. If it’s been kept in good little more than the price of admission, pure turbine. shape and the avionics have been pro- considering that jet operating costs Be aware, however, that a used, early gressively upgraded, that may not be a and maintenance expense can be Citation is likely to be well-used. People SUREOHPEXWLW·VDGHÀQLWHFRQVLGHUDWLRQ VLJQLÀFDQW6WLOOIRUWKRVHZLOOLQJWRVKRS rarely buy aircraft in this class to let them when you’re shopping. carefully and have a comprehensive sit. Many owners average 250-300 hours $OVR UHPHPEHU WKDW MXVW EHFDXVH DQ early Citation is comparatively inexpen- sive, don’t mistake it for a jet version of the MAKING THE COMPARISON 6N\KDZN

22 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 3(5+$36&2,1&,'(17$//< priced just over a million dollars. 1977 CITATION 1 S/P 7+(1(:(5&(661$ The majority of the others were tick- eted at less than $500,000. Remember, 0867$1*02'(/+$6 these were asking prices, not getting 3(5)250$1&(180%(56 SULFHV

PERFORMANCE 0D[&UXLVH6SHHG NWV DWIW Max Mach .70 Cruise Fuel Burn (gph/lbs) 162/1085 %HVWUDWHRIFOLPE6/ ISP 0D[2SHUDWLQJ$OW IW 6WDOO 9VR²NWV /GJ)OG/HQJWK IW /GJRYHUIW IW

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 23 Lightning Strikes LIGHTNING A REAL THREAT? IN ALL, LIGHTNING STRIKES ABOUT 100 TIMES A SECOND AROUND THE WORLD. IS IT A REAL HAZARD FOR AIRCRAFT? By Bill Cox

It’s 10 p.m., and I’m standing on the deck of my hotel in Darwin, Australia, looking northwest across the Van Dieman Gulf and the Timor Sea toward Indonesia, watching the most spectacular, natural fireworks show I could possibly imagine. No, it’s not a national holiday, Australia didn’t just win the World Cup and there’s no other special circumstance associated with the exploding sky. This is simply the nightly display of lightning that graces northern Australia throughout much of the summer. In fact, Darwin has become world famous for its light shows October through March. At only 12.5 degrees south of the equator, roughly as far south as Caracas or Manila are north, Darwin enjoys a warm, tropical, South Pacific cli- mate that’s nearly perfect for birthing thunderstorms. It’s such a popular spot for giant CBs that researchers come from all over the world to study the phenomenon.

Tomorrow, I will fly through that same airspace from For better or worse, I’ve witnessed the anvil of the gods Darwin over Bali and on up the Indonesian chain to Sin- several thousand times in places as disparate as the Congo, gapore — or maybe I won’t. (I’m not a perfect idiot – some Brazil, Australia, the Philippines and the American Midwest. parts are missing.) Even several thousand pounds of turbine I’ve watched a solid black sky burst with instantaneous light thrust sometimes isn’t equal to the task of conquering the at midnight, slashing brilliant, zigzag displays of electrical mighty cumulo nimbus, at least not the ones that live in this discharge from horizon to horizon. neighborhood. The question is: How dangerous is lightning to an aircraft in If one of the great joys of flying behind or between turbo- flight? The surprising answer is: Not very. prop or jet engines is splitting the sky at high Mach numbers, The most commonly anticipated hazard associated with a the tradeoff is that you must do it in the thin air of the flight lightning strike turns out to be the most remote. Many pilots levels above 18,000 feet, exactly the place where the lords of expect a direct lightning strike on an aircraft wing to ignite fuel thunder and lightning hold their parties. in the tanks and cause the airplane to simply explode.

24 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 25 Lightning Strikes

Storm over Sydney, Australia

That’s highly unlikely, though variations cloud-to-ground phenomena. These vari- that matter. Yes, we’ve all seen storms rising of that scenario are suspected as contribut- ations in charge are caused by the friction well above FL370, but they’re relatively rare. ing factors to a handful of crashes in the last of air masses rubbing against the ground or Flying out of Wichita, Kan., a decade ago in 75 years. A DC-3 exploded in flight in front against each other. a Cessna Mustang, I leveled at FL410 and of witnesses back in the 1940s, a Lockheed The Earth is normally negatively charged. watched cumulo nimbus continue to build Constellation blew up in the 1950s and a When the positive charge inside a cloud be- well above 50,000 feet. Boeing 707 disintegrated in 1963, but most comes strong enough, it may discharge and All the numbers associated with lightning of the time, lightning has only been sus- attract an up-strike from the ground, caus- are Gee Whiz. At any given moment, some- pected, rather than identified, as a probable ing a brilliant flash of light, or horizontally, thing like 2,000 active thunderstorms are cause. The FAA suggests the last known to another cloud. Researchers have recorded devouring the sky around the Earth, most incident of a possible lightning-induced horizontal lightning emissions more than within 30 degrees latitude north and south airline accident occurred in 2010, an Aires 20 miles long, but many discharges occur of the equator. Each of these monsters can Airline 737 that crashed on an island off unseen inside a thunderstorm. discharge unfathomable amounts of electri- Colombia, South America. Lightning is most dangerous at middle cal energy, up to 30 million volts at 350,000 Here at home, perhaps the most famous elevations, 20,000 to 30,000 feet, simply be- amps, but because the associated lightning lightning display was offered in November cause cloud-to-cloud discharges are up to 10 is traveling at the speed of light, the damage 1969 when millions of television viewers saw times more common than cloud-to-ground may not always be critical. the Apollo 12 spacecraft struck not once but bursts. Thunderstorms often climb to 37,000 Though a typical flash between cloud and twice during launch (effectively putting to feet or higher, but maximum discharges ground may appear to be a single discharge, it rest the most pervasive myth about light- occur between about 18,000 and 32,000 feet. actually represents several thousand trips be- ning). Fortunately, the only consequence was That’s one reason turbine aircraft are struck tween positive and negative poles. A lightning some electrical damage that reset, so Com- more often. They must operate in the flight strike, originating from a thundercloud hov- mander Pete Conrad continued the mission. levels for maximum efficiency. ering 5,000 feet above the ground, may zap In order to understand the risks associat- Above 37,000 feet, the sky is most often back and forth between the poles 9,000 times ed with a lightning strike, it’s important to clear and unrestricted. Temperature levels at in one-tenth of a second. Temperatures at the understand how the discharge is generated. about -67 degrees F, and humidity reduces core of this frenetic channel of energy may Lightning is caused by the dissimilar static to near zero. In other words, conditions reach 50,000 degrees F, but the duration of the electricity generated within a cloud, between become less favorable for the development flash is measured in microseconds, so damage one cloud and another, or the more familiar of thunderstorms or clouds of any kind, for is rarely as severe as the numbers suggest.

26 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 The First and Only... Personal Cabin Pressure Monitor!

AltAlert™ was developed under exclusive license from NASA and is the ĮƌƐƚƉŽƌƚĂďůĞĚĞǀŝĐĞƚŚĂƚƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐĂŶĂůĞƌƟŶŐƐǇƐƚĞŵĨŽƌĂŝƌĐƌĂŌĐĂďŝŶ ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌŝǌĂƟŽŶ͘

REDUCE YOUR RISK OF SLOW ONSET HYPOXIA

“Even the best trained pilots and OEM-supplied ǁĂƌŶŝŶŐƐǇƐƚĞŵƐŚĂǀĞƐƵīĞƌĞĚĂůĂƉƐĞŝŶĐĂďŝŶ ĂůƟƚƵĚĞĂǁĂƌĞŶĞƐƐ͘dŚĞůƚůĞƌƚĐůŽƐĞƐƚŚŝƐŐĂƉ ĂŶĚĐĂŶƐĂǀĞůŝǀĞƐ͘͟ Order Now TBM Owner/Pilot (858) 735-7943 www.altalert.com

DON’T GO IT ALONE!

www.jetrvsm.com

11 Years Experience Expert Support Christy DeYoung Domestic & Int’l N-Registered Aircraft 877--JET-RVSM RVSM, MNPS, RNP-10/RNP-4, [email protected] B-RNAV/P-RNAV, CPDLC, ADS-B, MMEL PHOTO BY JESSICA AMBATS

FALL 201 5 . 2 I CONTRAILS I 27 Lightning Strikes

Thunderstorm in Marina Bay, Singapore

Jet fuel, like AvGas and other combustible protected cabin may notice the airplane has with everything associated with lightning, liquids, must be vaporized to provide optimum been struck, but there’ll usually be no major the unleashed candle power is a big number, power in a turbine aircraft. Unlike AvGas that consequence other than hair standing on well beyond human comprehension. Unless achieves maximum volatility at 15 parts air to end and double scotches in first class. a pilot is looking directly into the core of one part fuel, Jet A requires around 58 parts air High-tech composite structures don’t fare the bolt, however, chances are any flash to one part fuel to ignite most efficiently.Th is so well. Many years ago, I was preparing for blindness will be short-lived. More than means even a direct strike on a wing tank is the flight back to California from the annual coincidentally, the FAA has never recorded unlikely to ignite jet fuel unless the tank level October Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. I an accident associated with flash blindness is extremely low or there are fuel vents trailing was loading my Mooney in a group hangar from a lightning discharge. fumes of Jet A. The FAA estimates that virtually and spotted a then-new Beech Starship, an Some pilots who fly at night in the vicin- every airliner is struck at least once a year, but all-composite design, tucked into a corner, ity of thunder-bumpers believe that storms there’s most often no damage or, at most, minor cordoned off with tape. No one else was are more active in the dark. That’s probably flash burns to composite components. around, so I snuck under the tape and ex- not the case, but lightning is certainly more All-metal aircraft are relatively immune, amined the aircraft.Th ere were several burn visible at night. (Does that mean the speed but the continuing trend toward composite areas where lightning had penetrated the of light isn’t as fast as the speed of dark?) construction in military jets and General wing. The folks at Cutter Aviaton told me the To mitigate some of the potential damage Aviation business aircraft puts them more at owners were waiting for the FAA to examine of lightning strikes against aircraft, the FAA risk. Fiberglass sailplanes may be the most the airplane before repairs were initiated. mandated static wicks to help dissipate any vulnerable as they’re lightweight and poorly Pretty obviously, any aircraft may be subject buildup of static electricity back out into the protected from electrical discharges. Alumi- to electrical damage from a direct lightning atmosphere. num aircraft generally are regarded as safe strike. The extreme high energy generated Lightning is definitely the most outstand- for passengers because the cabin acts as a may blow out even the best-protected circuit- ing manifestation of severe weather. Torna- Faraday cage, capable of absorbing as much ry, overloading any aircraft system, frying the dos and hurricanes may wreak more havoc as 200,000 volts without injury. A strike wiring so fast that circuit breakers don’t have a on the ground, but no pilot in his right mind will usually occur on an extremity such as chance to pop. It also may fuse some mechan- would deliberately challenge them. Light- a wingtip or a composite radar dome, flow ical or electrical components. ning associated with thunderstorms turns along the aluminum surface and exit harm- One obvious danger of lightning for out to be more spectacularly visible but also lessly out the opposite tip or tail. aircraft operating in close proximity to more “sturm und drang” for airplanes in Crew and passengers riding in the thunderstorms is flash blindness. Again, as flight than real threat.

2828 I CONTRAILSCONTRAILS I FALLF ALL 2015.2015.22 Visit us at NBAA Booth C14041 One more small step.

Attention Citation Owners: Introducing the next step..

dŚĞ͞ŶĞǆƚƐƚĞƉ͟ŝŶŝƚĂƟŽŶĐŽŶǀĞŶŝĞĞŶŶĐĞŚĂƐĂƌƌŝǀĞĚ͗^ŝĞƌƌĂ͛Ɛ SkyStepĐĂďŝŶĚŽŽƌƐƚĞƉƌĞƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ͘dŚŝƐĞŶŚĂŶĐĞĚĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĞůŝŵŝŶĂƚĞƐƚŚĞƐŚŽƌƚĐŽŵŝŶŐƐŽĨƚŚĞŽƌŝŐŝŶĂůĨĂĐƚŽƌǇƐƚĞƉĨŽƌƚŚŽƵ- ƐĂŶĚƐůĞƐƐƚŚĂŶĂĨĂĐƚŽƌǇƌĞƉůĂĐĞŵĞĞŶŶƚ͘

ͻWƌĞĐŝƐŝŽŶŵĂĐŚŝŶĞĚĂůƵŵŝŶƵŵĚĞƐŝŐŶĞůŝŵŝŶĂƚĞƐĐƌĂĐŬŝŶŐĂŶĚ ďƌĞĂŬŝŶŐ ͻϯĞǀĞŶůǇƐƉĂĐĞĚĞŶĐůŽƐĞĚƐƚĞƉƐĞŶŚĂŶĐĞĞĂƐĞŽĨĞŶƚƌǇĂŶĚŝŶ- ĐƌĞĂƐĞƐĂĨĞƚǇ ͻWŶĞƵŵĂƟĐƐƚƌƵƚƐƐŵŽŽƚŚůǇĚĞƉůŽŽǇƚŚĞƐƚĞƉ͕ŵŝŶŝŵŝǌŝŶŐƚŚĞƌŝƐŬŽĨ ĚĂŵĂŐĞŽƌŝŶũƵƌǇ ͻdͲŚĂŶĚůĞͲĞƋƵŝƉƉĞĚŝŶĞƌƟĂƌĞĞůŵĂŬĞƐƚŚĞƐƚĞƉĞĂƐǇƚŽƌĞƚƌĂĐƚĨƌŽŵ ŝŶƐŝĚĞĐĂďŝŶ ͻǀĂŝůĂďůĞĨŽƌŝƚĂƟŽŶŵŽĚĞůƐĨƌŽŽŵƚŚĞƚŚĞŽƌŝŐŝŶĂůŽƌŝŐŝŶĂůϱϬϬϱϬϬƚŽƚŽƚŚĞƚŚĞ:ϯ:ϯн ǀĂŝůĂďůĞĞǆĐůƵƐŝǀĞůǇĨƌŽŵ ͻ>ŝŐŚƟŶŐĂŶĚŽƚŚĞƌĐƵƐƚŽŵŝǌĂƟŽŶŽƉƟŽŶƐĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĂůůŽƵƌŝƚĂƟŽŶƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂůƐĂƚ 1--888-835-9377ƚŽĚĂǇĨŽƌŵŽƌĞ ĚĞƚĂŝůƐŽŶƚŚŝƐĞǆĐŝƟŶŐŶĞǁ͞ŵƵƐƚŚĂǀĞ͟ƵƉŐƌĂĚĞĨŽƌǇŽƵƌĐůĂƐƐŝĐŽƌ ĐŽŶƚĞŵƉŽƌĂƌǇŝƚĂƟŽŶ͘

'ĂƌŶĞƌ&ŝĞůĚŝƌƉŽƌƚʹĂŶŐĨŽƌĚƌŝǀĞͮhǀĂůĚĞ͕dyϳϴϴϬϭͮŽ͗ϴϯϬͲϮϳϴͲϰϰϴϭͮĨ͗ϴϯϬͲϮϳϴͲϳϲϰϵ ^ĂŶŶƚŽŶŝŽ/ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂůŝƌƉŽƌƚʹ<^dͮϭϳϳϬ^ŬǇƉůĂĐĞůǀĚͮ͘^ĂŶŶƚŽŶŝŽ͕dyϳϴϮϭϲͮϮϭϬͲϴϬϱͲϯϭϴϴ www.sijet.com/skystep RPQ]training A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT PREMIER JET TRAINING THE FLORIDA-BASED COMPANY NOT ONLY GIVES YOU TRAINING, BUT THEY’RE ALL ABOUT SELLING YOU TIME AND FLEXIBILITY. By Lyn Freeman I’m often reminded of the story we’ve all been told, be it truth or urban legend, I don’t know. But it took place one Sunday afternoon in a sleepy little flight school, where the 300-hour CFI was working the front desk. A gentleman came in the door and said he was visiting the area and would like to take his relatives on a flightseeing trip over the city. Could he rent a Skyhawk? “Well, sir, I’ll have to give you a standard check-out in the aircraft, and I’ll need to see your pilot’s license,” the rookie CFI said. The gentleman pulled out his pilot’s license. It turned out he was a famous Apollo astronaut who had walked on the moon. It was a while before the young CFI could even speak. Recently, I visited Premier Jet Training (PJT) in Stuart, Fla., to investigate getting typed in a Cessna 525 CJ. I’m lucky to have taken lots of flight training over the years but, quite honestly, sometimes it’s a bit off-putting to take an instrument-competency check or a flight review with a CFI who has less total time than you have in left turns. I would absolutely be the first to tell you I’m nothing special, but we all have likely had similar experiences where we’re like the astronaut asked to fly with a pup.

30 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 31 RPQ]training

simulator training and actual dual flying gets to refine what he/she’s learned in the yes, they own their own training airplanes in a real airplane, all designed to respond real world — in the air — flying one of — my CFI was Jim Lewis, a retired United to a cornucopia of flying and real-world PJT’s proprietary jets. That’s classroom, Airlines captain/check airman typed in training needs. That business plan offers simulator and then the left seat of one of more than 20 aircraft with more than two huge advantages over the competi- the school’s jets. Lots of training organi- 40,000 hours! What an amazing opportu- tion. zations and independent instructors are nity, I thought to myself, to get to fly with First, PJT owns its own fleet of aircraft willing to take you flying in your own and take instruction from this level of and manages/operates several others. In airplane for training, but few schools, if CFI. I don’t know that I’ve ever flown with the hangar outside sits a Citation II and any, have their own jets to let you learn in. someone so qualified. the Cessna CJ I was interested in, plus an Or if they have a jet, they don’t have a sim, “Our instructors are an amazing group unusually nice Cessna Mustang. Premier and so forth. Not at PJT. of people,” PJT’s Josh Birmingham said. also trains pilots for the Cessna 650 series. A second reason so many pilots come “They have thousands and thousands “Simulators and airplanes fly different- to PJT is the school’s flexibility. Pilots get of hours of experience, and they are all ly,” Birmingham pointed out. highly focused, precision training that FAA gold-sealed master instructors who Students come literally from around the exactly fits their needs. instruct because they love to, not because world to do their training at PJT because “We get a lot of pilots who’ve been to they have to.” they get world-class ground schooling, training programs at any number of the PJT opened its doors in 2013, and sometimes taught by a college professor big schools. They’ve had to sit through a business has already doubled. Birming- (no kidding) and always taught by an 14-day training program because that’s ham describes the Premier program as unbelievably experienced CFI. Then they what the FAA might require of a Part a Trained to Proficiency model.Th is is get extensive training in a full-motion 142 school. There are no short cuts, no business-speak for offering classroom, Redbird simulator, and then the student consideration given to pilots who already

Students perfect their skills in the simulator before ﬂying the actual jet.

32 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 through again and again. “When those pilots learn about our approach, they InsInnsnstrutrtruructctocttoorFr FranraranankkH Harlarar owow watwawatatchecchhheessr realeaealal titimeme vidvviidideoeo enroll immediately, and they come back frofrfrorommt thhee simssiimim. year after year after year,” Birmingham said with a touch of pride. PJT also does RVSM training, ATP add-ons, high-altitude endorsements, single-pilot exemptions for the CE 500, mentor flight training, “try before you buy” opportunities and even private training at your location. PJT’s program is accepted by all major insurance carriers. This wildly popular idea of being able to construct training around your distinct, individual needs is pushing PJT out of its current location and into a new building more than twice the size of its current operating location. The facility will offer three different simulators (a CJ 1+, a Cess- na Mustang sim and a CE 500 simulator) and allow the company to train as many as 400-500 students a year. Premier is also developing a business plan to allow it to expand and operate at other have lots of experience,” Birmingham locations around the said. “But at PJT, as soon as a student has country. “Nobody is mastered a module, we can move on. And building what we are all our students are trained to ATP level.“ building,” Birmingham The flexibility of PJT’s program has won added. “Maybe they praise from a number of pilots of varying don’t have a simulator, backgrounds. For example, if a student and they’re having to has lots of experience and is just now borrow one. And when stepping up to the third jet he’s owned, the it comes time to fly, significant experience he brings counts they have to borrow an at PJT and can greatly accelerate training airplane. Nobody is do- when compared to a Part 142 school, ing what we’re doing.” which have to plod along, covering every I had certainly inch of a training outline that maybe learned everything I hasn’t changed in 10 years. needed to know about Sometimes jet pilots with tens of getting my CJ type rat- thousands of hours need to get typed in a ing at PJT as opposed Cessna Mustang simply because they’ve to several of other been hired to fly one. At PJT, they’re Premier’s Josh Birmingham traditional schools I’d not required to sit through a two-week investigated. I left con- program just to get a type rating in an vinced that I had gotten airplane that is infinitely simpler than needs to learn to become a well-trained jet a program that was all about me, custom perhaps the B-777 they just retired from. pilot. PJT then builds a course that matches tailored around my particular talents and PJT takes the time to evaluate pilots’ skills that pilot’s personal needs. No time is skill level and administered by some of the and then sets up the training program wasted teaching pilots things they might most qualified flight instructors anywhere. specifically for them. already have mastered. Consequently, PJT’s Those things impressed me the most. PJT also sees a number of pilots who are instructors become infinitely more valuable “What we really doing is selling time,” transitioning into a pure jet after yfl ing a to the training pilot. Birmingham said. “You don’t have to spend simpler airplane, a Baron, Navajo or sin- PJT also does a big volume of recurrent any more time than what it takes to make gle-engine turboprop. Again, those pilots training. Pilots who have survived the you a safe, well-trained pilot. Leaves a lot are given personalized, individual attention long hours at a Part 142 school are often more time for you to enjoy flying!” that assesses exactly where that pilot is in ready for something fresh and different, For more information about the programs terms of experience and what he or she not the same program they’ve had to sit at PJT, go to PremierJetTraining.com.

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 33 perfect approach MAKE IT BRIEF HERE ARE THE COMPONENTS TO FLY THE PERFECT APPROACH By Thomas P. Turner Getting ready for an instrument approach is one of the most complex tasks a pilot must master, yet it’s one where little guidance is readily available, especially to single-pilot operators whose contact with instructors and other pilots of the same type or class of airplane is limited to widely spaced training events. Most non-airline pilots bring the procedures they learned in the previous airplanes they’ve flown to the jet cockpit, probably modified by experience and maybe a training event or two, but perhaps not much changed from their early days of single-pilot operation. The way you brief yourself for an approach may be little different from what you used in the Cessna 172 or Piper Archer in which you earned your instrument rating. And when you think that, in many cases, your instrument instructor was only a little more experienced than you at the time — and had little to no left-seat PIC cross-country time under instrument flight rules — it’s scary. Chapter 10 of the FAA’s Instrument Procedures Handbook does a superb job of reviewing the individual elements and considerations of flying an instrument approach. It’s a good review now and again for even an experienced turbine pilot. But the FAA does not provide a sample checklist with the 1, 2, 3 of briefing for an instrument approach. I researched and found no firm guidance on how to brief yourself for an instrument approach. A Google search reveals pages of links to material, some print, some video, all a little different and nothing definitive. I guess, by writing this, I’m adding another Google link to the options. But I want to relate at least one good way to brief an approach, based on the experience of pilots who do it every day. I’d also like to offer a technique I’ve learned and amended along the way that helps you cull the really important information from an instrument approach chart so you have exactly what you need to know — from final approach course inbound through, and including, the missed approach.

34 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 FALLFAL 2012 55.2 I CONTCONN RAILRAR S I 3535 perfect approach

I WANT a briefing A few items stand out as being of I asked a senior captain for a major prime importance: regional jet operator what his company teaches as an approach 1. Brief early; don’t wait until you’re briefing. I figured these guys are close to beginning the procedure. flying what are essentially scaled-up business jets. (Bombardier has cor- 2. Brief during low-workload porate ties to Learjet and, of course, times, before Top of Descent, as its own large-cabin bizjets as well. soon as you have an idea of what Embraer is getting quite big in the approach will likely be in use. personal/business jet market too.) The regional jet crews are flying 3. If something changes and sometimes five or six ppa roaches you must brief the approach in a day into everything from major a high-workload time, such as international hubs to non-towered during descent, recognize this is little country airports where their going to be a potentially dangerous arrival and departure is the most distraction. In the two-pilot world, significant airport operation of the you can transfer control to the PM. day. They fly day and night in vir- In a single-pilot jet use the auto- tually all weather. So if anyone has pilot, but remember you are still the concept of an approach brief the Pilot Monitoring; you might “down” it would be these folks — transfer control, but you cannot and we can learn from them. delegate command responsibility, Aviation being a stronghold of to the autopilot. acronyms, I figured that the regional airline has a mnemonic for 4. The corollary to No. 3 is that, if approach briefing as well. I was not you cannot actively monitor the disappointed. The airline inq ues- autopilot while you are briefing for tion uses the acronym WANT: for the approach in a phase of flight Weather, Airport/Area, NOTAMs when hazards are building (during and Threats. descent, deviating around weather, Here’s the airline’s complete etc.), then tell the controller you briefing checklist: need an altitude and a vector, or a holding pattern, during which you’ll Approach briefing: Complete Weather prepare for the approach. I know it’s foreign to The pilot flying (PF) will conduct an pa - • ATIS many jet pilots, but tell ATC you’re unablee to proach briefing as soon as adequate informa- comply with the clearance you’re given until tion is available and while the pilot workload • Wind shear/gusty wind considerations and you have a low-workload pause to prepare. is at a minimum (before Top of Descent). limitations The acronym WANT identifies each cat- This regional airline approach-briefing egory that must be briefed. Topics within • Low visibility taxi model is still somewhat vague and open to each category are briefed only as applicable, interpretation, but at least it provides some focusing on anticipated threats. Airport/area structure to what you WANT to review when If an IAP [Instrument Approach Proce- • Identify applicable arrival transition and looking at the myriad information splashed dure] is to be flown in actual instrument expected crossing altitude across an instrument approach chart. conditions or night VMC, a complete approach plate briefing must be conducted. • Terrain and CFIT threats for both the What’s really important? Electronic and/or visual guidance will be approach and missed approach procedure This all still leaves us pilots to determine used for all approaches when available. how to turn all the data on an instrument If the PF needs to study or set up the ap- • Expected runway information (minimum approach chart into information that we can proach procedure during a high-workload pe- landing distance assessment, length, surface use to fly the procedure safely. Pilots who get riod, the PF may consider transferring control condition, approach lighting system, etc.) into trouble flying an instrument approach of the aircraft to the PM [Pilot Monitoring]. usually do so after they’re established on a It is recommended that FMS [Flight • Taxi plan transition and especially after aligning with Management System] programming be ac- the final approach inbound through landing complished before the briefing. If a runway NOTAMS or the beginning of a missed approach. change occurs after the approach briefing Threats Although you absolutely must review the has been completed, re-brief the approach • Discuss highest threat (e.g., crossing/speed entire chart and all its notes and cautions accordingly. restriction, CFIT, contaminated runway, etc.) during low-workload times (if possible,

36 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2

perfect approach

This takes the information I need for the An enormous amount three pieces of information that are truly approach as I’ll fly it this time, under current vital for you to extract from the jumble of conditions, and puts of mental work is information on the chart. You need these it in a quick-refer- involved in flying an three things in a simple format so you can ence format so that, approach as a single- review them at a glance from just outside the if I want or need to Final Approach Fix (FAF) inbound, without refresh my memory pilot jet. A structured having to re-extract them from all the notes, during the briefing system and warnings and cautions in the fine print of approach, I do not a low-tech way of the procedure. Those items are Altitude, have to pull it from Distance and Missed (ADM). Figure 1 all the data on the extracting what’s chart and re-do my important for today’s Altitude: The altitude at whichy ou’ll fly to decision-making and my math. My record of the FAF and the altitude for Decision Height, the altitude information for this approach is approach will make you Decision Altitude or Minimum Descent in ADM figure 1. an even more confident Altitude as appropriate for the procedure as and capable pilot. it is flown that day. Distance: It’s 4.9 miles from the FAF information on my Post-It™ briefing sheet as Distance: The distance from the FAF to the to the MAP. well, as in ADM figure 3. Missed Approach Point (MAP). This may Although it’s not as Why go to all this trouble in today’s elec- include intermediate step-downs and/or a vital to know this tronic world, when the GPS prompts you Visual Descent Point (VDP). for an LPV (or the autopilot) prior to heading changes approach as it is for, and tells you how to enter a hold? I do it for Missed: The initial heading and subsequent say, the LNAV, in all several reasons: navigation track from the MAP to the holding Figure 2 cases it’s good to fix, and the altitudes including any restrictions. have a basic idea of 1. It puts all the decisions I have to make the distance as a crosscheck to other when preparing to fly an approach on this Once you know ADM (Altitude, Distance navigation. If your final approach ground particular day into a single place so I don’t and Missed), you know everything you need speed into the Kansas wind is about 120 have to make those decisions again later from outside the FAF through landing or to knots, you’ll cover this distance in about two when I’m rushed. the missed approach hold. and a half minutes. Knowing this, and running a timer (just like when you flew that 2. The physical process of writing it in this Scenario 172!) will help you avoid busting minimums. format helps cement it into my short-term Say you’re flying your jet into the Beech Fac- ADM figure 22 shows this addition. memory so I’m less likely to have to look at tory Airfield on the east side of Wichita, Kan., it any way. for a Monday morning appointment to take a Missed: My look at the latest Cessna product (yes, they’ll instructional 3. Although the avionics, altitude bugs and soon be building Cessna jets alongside King experience and the other reminders help me anticipate the Airs, Barons and Bonanzas in Plant IV at NTSB record action points, my low-tech little note allows Beechcraft). It’s Sunday afternoon, and Beech suggest that pilots me to anticipate the anticipatory commands, Tower is closed. ATC tells you winds are from often arrive at the for even better situational awareness. the south and to anticipate the RNAV (GPS) MAP unprepared to 19 approach. You call up the approach chart miss if the condi- 4. At the highest workload phase of flight, on your EFB (see figure). You go through the Figuree 3 tions require. the beginning of the missed approach, my WANT checklist, and Approach clears you Briefing the missed quick reference tells me exactly what I need direct to ILIBE and for the approach. What is a function of altitudes and directions. In to do — with my decisions already made, are the ADM items for this approach? this case, you’ll fly climb to 3,000 feet straight under a much lower-stress condition. ahead to Deney intersection. If your Altitude: A quick glance at the chart tells approach has an initial altitude and then a 5. For those “What is it doing now?” mo- you that the final altitude to the FAF is 3,000 turn, you can draw that on your Post-It™. If ments with avionics and autopilot, this is feet and the LPV minimums are 1,659 MSL there’s a complex, GPS- or FMS-programmed an excellent cross-check to let me know if I and three-quarters of a mile. A more detailed route, you might draw the initial portion up need to intervene manually. look, however, reveals that, when unable to to the point you’ll follow electronic guidance. obtain a local altimeter setting, minimums Another decision you should make during An enormous amount of mental work is increase by 36 feet and one-eight of a mile. the low-workload briefing time is how you involved in flying an approach as a single-pi- The Decision Altitude fory our LPV approach will enter a holding pattern should you need to lot jet. A structured briefing system and a on this particular day, then, is 1,695 MSL. miss the approach. Why figure it out then and low-tech way of extracting what’s important I am a big fan of writing this down in a have to re-compute it in your head as you near for today’s approach will make you an even very simplified fashion on a Post-It™ note. the holding fix? I write the holding pattern more confident and capable pilot.

38 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 39 terminal forecast

40 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 MOS IS BOSS A TAF-LIKE FORECAST FOR MORE THAN 2,100 AIRPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ITS TERRITORIES. By Scott Dennstaedt

As the old saying goes, what goes up must come down. When the weather is challenging, the last thing you want as you near the end of your flight on a long cross-country trip are worries about how well you planned your fuel reserves. That means, before you depart, you need to feel confident of the expected weather at your destination and alternate airports at the time you are expected to arrive. If there’s a terminal forecast (TAF) available, then you are golden. However, in the absence of a TAF, what aviation forecast are you going to use to help identify — with confidence — the wind, ceiling, visibility and weather at your destination? You could use the area forecast (FA) along with AIRMET variables like pressure, humidity, temperature and wind. Sierra. The FA often refers to local regions such as Meteorologists compile this information and other de- “far west” or “hill country” that tend to be unfamiliar rived data and display it on standard charts and diagrams to someone who doesn’t fly frequently in that region. to make a forecast. These models are certainly useful; Center Weather Advisories (CWA) can also help when however, they do not automatically produce a point fore- localized low IFR conditions exist. But CWAs are more cast for a specific town or airport as pilots would expect of an inflight advisory rather than one you’d use during to see for preflight planning. This is the job of MOS. preflight planning because of their short lead-time and (See Image A on next page) duration (two hours). Not to worry, there is a solution for many airports that don’t have the benefit of a TAF. MOS improves the forecast At the end last year, ForeFlight Mobile introduced MOS has actually been around for many decades, but a new forecasting tool to its flight-planning repertoire over the last few years it’s been making its way into the called MOS or Model Output Statistics. MOS can fill this aviator’s toolkit. In fact, here’s a website that a fair num- void. It offers a TAF-like forecast for more than 2,100 ber of pilots use. It’s a MOS forecast: www.usairnet.com/ airports in the United States and its territories. MOS gets cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi. right to the point and provides the weather guidance you Furthermore, MOS has been used, along with other need to minimize any surprises at your destination or forecast guidance, to help meteorologists produce point alternate airports. forecasts such as TAFs. MOS combines the “raw” model forecast data mentioned above with geo-climatic data, The point forecast removes any known systematic model biases (quirks that Forecasters rely on weather prediction models from the are known about the model) and attempts to improve National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration upon it, using a statistical method to produce an objec- (NOAA) and other agencies to make their forecasts. tive site-specific forecast that also attempts to quantify These models provide forecasters with long- and short- uncertainty. Clear as mud? No? Then, let’s look at an term guidance in the form of meteorologically significant example.

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 41 terminal forecast

Let’s say the model produces a forecast with a specific pressure pattern over my home airport of Rock Hill, S.C., valid later this afternoon. We know that the pressure gradient (the change of pressure over a given distance) drives wind. MOS looks at this pressure pattern and effectively compares this to similar patterns that have happened in the past (several decades or longer, depending on the observing station). Based on historical observations at Rock Hill that match this particular pattern at this time of day and year, MOS can spit out a wind forecast of 310 degrees at 8 knots, for example. In other words, it offers a good grasp of the local effects at that airport, given certain meteorological conditions, including knowledge of how mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and other local features can make a difference in the weather at the airport.

MOS is the boss in ForeFlight The real beauty of MOS is that it is designed to provide a site-specific forecast for weather details that are important to pilots that include surface wind speed and direction as well as sky cover, ceiling height, surface visibility, obstruction to visibility and a variety of elements related to precipitation, including thunderstorm potential. Several flavors of IMAGE B - On the left is a forecaster-issued TAF for Oshkosh, Wis., as shown in ForeFlight Mo- bile. On the right is ForeFlight’s automated MOS forecast for Oshkosh. Both are show valid at 10 MOS are available, originating from different p.m. CDT. There are deﬁnite differences at times between these two forecasts; notice the lack of weather-prediction models. ForeFlight has a thunderstorm forecast in MOS. In this case, MOS provided a better forecast given that thunder- developed a proprietary algorithm that takes storms never impacted the Oshkosh terminal area during this time. the raw MOS forecast from NOAA and im- The other nice aspect about MOS is that not have a TAF, MOS provides some useful proves upon it to provide a TAF-like forecast it’s available for so many airports in the U.S. guidance about the expected meteorologi- that is simple and obvious to use within the At the moment, the NWS only issues TAFs cal conditions at those airports at the time ForeFlight Mobile app. It’s the same way for 666 airports in this same region. So if of your departure or arrival. Moreover, it you’d make use of a TAF. (See Image B) your destination or alternate airport does provides guidance out to three days in the

IMAGE A - Air Sports Net (USAirnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi) is a popular website within the aviation community that provides a graphical depiction of MOS from the GFS model. Most pilots don’t even know this is a MOS forecast.

42 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 Fill an empty seat with hope. Give a cancer patient a lift on your next ﬂight. Photography by Gabe Palacio by Gabe Photography

Corporate Angel Network arranges free flights to treatment for cancer patients in the empty seats on corporate jets. Since 1981, Corporate Angel Network, a not-for- profit organization, has worked with over 560 major Corporate Angel Network corporations including half the Fortune 100, to fly Bringing cancer patients more than 47,000 cancer patients to specialized closer to their cure. treatment and currently transports 225 patients each month. The process is simple. Corporate Angel (914) 328-1313 Network does all the work. All you have to do is offer an empty seat to a cancer patient on your next flight. www.corpangelnetwork.org terminal forecast future, which helps with planning beyond doesn’t have a TAF. MOS guidance is best the reach of a TAF or area forecast. used as way to fill in the blanks when the The MOS guidance you see in ForeFlight official forecasts don’t provide the details is updated every hour for most airports. At necessary. the moment, there are about 300 airports MOS cannot forecast multiple cloud that only update once every six hours. With layers as you see in a TAF. Except for an hourly update, MOS can pick up on and when the forecast is shown as clear, a sin- adjust to rapidly changing weather condi- gle fixed cloud layer is the best MOS can tions much better than any other forecast. do. It cannot directly forecast showers in Of course, TAFs and the FA are issued by a the vicinity (VCSH) or fog in the vicinity forecaster and can be amended when Moth- (VCFG), nor can it forecast precipita- er Nature has a different plan. But you can tion intensity. Additionally, MOS cannot also rely on MOS to keep up with Mother forecast non-convective LLWS and no sig- IMAGE D - MOS can be displayed on an Nature’s new plan. nificant weather, both of which can appear airport-by-airport basis, but to assess the in a TAF. MOS is also unable to predict a widespread nature of the event, use the Mind the limitations variable wind. graphical depiction of MOS that’s available in the ForeFlight imagery. This is a categori- While ForeFlight’s MOS does an excellent Finally, MOS does not distinguish cal representation of ceiling, based on flight job most of the time, but remember it’s an between rain and drizzle. In ForeFlight, categories. A categorical forecast of visibility automated forecast. There’s no human in any precipitation will be shown as rain is also available. the loop like a TAF. In ForeFlight, the fact or snow. While MOS can distinguish ceiling height and/or visibility graphically that it resembles a TAF’s decoded forecast between snow and rain, it can’t specifically in this way is perhaps the best approach to shouldn’t sway you to use it as a wholesale forecast freezing rain, freezing drizzle or use MOS, especially for extended guidance replacement for a forecaster-issued TAF. ice pellets. In ForeFlight, “freezing precip- beyond 24 hours. (See Image D) In other words, it should never be used itation” is shown. (See Image C) This graphical MOS depiction added to replace a TAF from a legal perspective. to ForeFlight Mobile 7.1 comes from the If the airport has a TAF, that forecast Finding MOS in ForeFlight Global Forecast System (GFS) model and needs to be used to decide if an alternate The MOS forecast option is available to all is a close cousin of the other MOS forecast is required and for determining alternate subscribers with at least ForeFlight Mobile available in ForeFlight. Unlike the FA and minimums. Similarly, the area forecast 6.6 or newer. To find it in the app, go to the TAFs that offer an absolute ceiling and pre- needs to be used as well if the airport Map view and turn on any airport layer vailing ground-visibility forecast, the GFS such as Flight Category. Then simply tap MOS guidance uses a categorical approach. on any colored airport marker shown. This It uses familiar flight categories to include will trigger a popover window to appear VFR, Marginal VFR, IFR, Low IFR and for that airport. Then tap the Forecast tab Very Low IFR (VLIFR). The color-coded at the bottom, and you’ll see a MOS (or legend that depicts these categories for the Nearest MOS) button near the top of the ceiling or visibility contours on the map popover. Tap the MOS button to reveal this is located at the bottom of each forecast. new forecast product. Areas depicted in black on the map are Strictly for convenience, if there isn’t a expected to be clear below 12,000 feet AGL MOS forecast for the airport, ForeFlight for ceiling and greater than six statute miles will show the MOS forecast nearest this air- for visibility. port instead. Keep in mind that the condi- You can find the GFS MOS ceiling and tions forecast by the nearest MOS forecast visibility forecast hidden in the ForeFlight (or nearest TAF, for that matter) may not imagery below the CONUS weather in be representative of the weather conditions the USA collections. These forecasts are at that airport. Similarly, you can view the updated every six hours. Perhaps the most MOS forecast from the weather tab in the refreshing aspect is that GFS MOS fore- Airports view. casts are available at three-hour intervals through the next three days. A wider perspective If you haven’t used MOS before, give it a MOS guidance can be displayed in Fore- try when you are contemplating your next Flight for specific airports, as mentioned flight. You’ll find that it does a remarkable above. That’s perfect for drilling down for job providing you with useful avia- your departure, destination and alter- tion-weather guidance for some airports nate airports. However, to determine the that doesn’t exist with any other forecast IMAGE C - MOS can be found in ForeFlight in widespread nature of an IFR event, MOS available. the same way you’d look at a TAF. It’s located guidance can also be graphically contoured Scott C. Dennstaedt is a CFI and former NWS research in the airport popover under the Forecast meteorologist. He is also the Weather Scientist at Fore- tab. Also, you can find MOS in the Weather over a geographic area the size of the Flight. You can learn more about aviation weather by tab within the Airports view. United States. Displaying the categorical visiting his website AvWxWorkshops.com.

44 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2

danger of drones

The Consumer Electronics Association estimates 700,000 drones will be sold by the end of the year. Add that number to the estimated 300,000–500,000 already in use and, by New Year’s Day, more than a million UAVs could be in the air — the majority op- erated by someone without any experience or knowledge of the rules of aviation. Drone popularity has exponentially increased the dangers of their use to commercial and private aircraft. Before 2014, reports of a close call with a drone were rare. Since then, close encounters between drones and manned aircraft have soared, no pun intended. In the first eight months of 2015, the number of close calls with drones reported by pilots rose from only a few to more than 700 close encounters. Close calls aren’t limited to the vicinity of airports where traditionally airplanes are the most vulnerable to drone interference during take off and landing. Dangerous encounters are happening far above the 400-foot restriction that operators of UAVs are required to follow, some as high as 12,000 feet. Here’s a sampling of incidents from the FAA Pilot Report in 2015:

• In La Verne, Calif., a Piper P28A northbound at 2,400 feet had to maneuver to avoid a UAV crossing in front of him.

• On the same day, near Johnstown, Penn., a Cessna C182, at 9,500 feet eastbound, reported a yellow UAV ap- proximately the size of a “dishwasher” as it passed 50 feet below, westbound on the right side.

• The pilot of a single-engine Piper P-28 reported making a “hard left bank” on June 20 to avoid colliding with a silver drone about 5,200 feet DRONES: WHAT’S THE REAL RISK? above Groton, Conn. • On Saturday, June 13, a C510 was four WITH THOUSANDS MORE DRONES TAKING FLIGHT ALL THE TIME, miles south of Charlottesville-Albe- THE SITUATION IS MORE THAN SERIOUS. marle (CHO) Airport inbound to Runway 3 at 2,100 feet when the pilot By Pam Brown reported a UAV pass below the aircraft within 25 feet. The pilot said he didn’t Chances are — among the ugly sweaters and latest video games have time to make any evasive maneu- given as gifts this holiday season — someone you know will be vers, adding, “That was close.” gifted an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) otherwise known as a In a majority of reports, pilots say the drone. Once exclusively used by the military, drones have now drone “just came out of nowhere.” And gone mainstream. For $100 or less, anyone can walk into Wal- that’s true. By the time the drone becomes Mart and, in no time, fly one. visible at high altitudes, it’s often too late

46 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2

danger of drones

Drones violated restricted air space over the White House and other sensitive locations four times in a three-month period this past year. In one of those incidents, a drone crashed on the White House lawn.

that the “demand for recreational drones has exceeded anyone’s expectations. For the most part, UAV users are new to the aviation experience and need some education as to the rules of the sky.” In this spirit, the FAA is sending represen- tatives in to retailers before the holidays to help those selling the UAVs educate buyers about the guidelines. The challenge for the FAA is to integrate recreational and commercial drone use with the rules already in place for manned aircraft. In an address to the Aero Club, FAA Chief Michael Huerta said, “It has become apparent to all of us that we are at the dawn of a time when unmanned aircraft are playing a growing role in world aviation. “Our responsibilities, as the aviation safety for the pilot to alter his course. Most of the time, recreational drone users were exempt regulator, demand we take a thoughtful ap- drones are too small to appear on radar or from any U.S. regulation, as long as operators proach when developing and implementing warning systems. followed safety standards. But government of- new rules. We are also mindful that we need Fortunately, there have been no collisions, ficials underestimated the growth of the drone to move quickly to ensure these aircraft are but Sen. Chuck Schumer, at a Congressio- industry, and stricter guidelines for UAVs were integrated into the National Air Space System nal hearing on UAVs, said “The number of announced in the spring of 2015. in the safest manner possible.” near-misses is astounding. When a collision With a million or more UAVs soon requir- does occur, it will be catastrophic.” Those guidelines are: ing air space, the Department of Transporta- FAA spokesman Les Dorr added, tion and the FAA decided to fast-track a task “Depending on size, speed and mass, • UAVs may fly no higher than 400 feet; force of government officials, business people, unmanned aircraft pose a hazard to aircraft manufacturers and hobbyists to develop windshields, flight controls and other struc- • If within five miles of an airport, UAV specific rules for registering UAVs and inte- tures.” Those studying the problem say, “It operators must have permission from grating this new evolution of aviation into the is just a matter of time.” Air Traffic Control; existing system. The Unmanned Aircraft Sys- Already, rogue drones are causing havoc tems Registration Task Force is to complete in the public-service sector, interfering with • Drones must be in sight of the opera- its recommendations by Nov. 20. The goal is medical-relief helicopters and firefighters. tor at all times; to have the group’s recommendations ready Concerns about Homeland Security are to enforce by Dec. 18. increasing, too. Drones violated restricted air • UAVs can’t be flown at night. As pilots, the chances of having an encoun- space over the White House and other sensi- ter with a drone are growing exponentially tive locations four times in a three-month pe- It’s evident from the recent pilot reports though, to date, there have been no accidents. riod this past year. In one of those incidents, a that drone operators either don’t know the Yet. If you see a drone while you’re flying, drone crashed on the White House lawn. rules or are not abiding by them. report it immediately to ATC and be vigilant In 2012, Congress asked the FAA to begin In testimony before the Congressional Avi- wherever you go. integrating UAVs into the national airspace, a ation Subcommittee, FAA Deputy Admin- For more information, go to https://www. project that was expected to take years. At that istrator Michael G. Whitaker acknowledged faa.gov/uas

48 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 GetATaxReceipt Donate Any Airplane

Contact: www.BuildAPlane.org 804.843.3321

Help kids learn science, technology, engineering and math by building or restoring real airplanes. Your contributions are tax deductible.

www.buildaplane.org MiPad u ELECTRONICS

Imagine having enough space on your iPad screen so that you can have both your en route weather and your navigation open at the same time. Or perhaps you could have your charts and your approach plates open on the screen at the same time. Then imagine that both images were large enough for you to see and read clearly. That’s what you’re going to get when Apple starts selling its new iPad Pro in November. The iPad Pro has a screen that measures the same distance across as the iPad Air does high. This means that you can display a full iPad-sized image on the screen when it’s held horizontally, and still have enough room to display another full-sized iPad image next to it. Fortunately, the new iPad will support multi-tasking, which is the ability to run multiple programs simultaneously. This is what makes it possible to display two sets of images on the screen simultaneously. To accomplish this, Apple created an iPad with a 12.9-inch display that supports 5.6 million pixels. Apple executives said during the introduction of the iPad Pro on Sept. 9 that its engineers used some of the same hardware used on the Macintosh 5K display because the new iPad has similar resolution on its smaller display of 2732 x 2048 pixels. The new iPad Pro will have an anti-reflective coating, which could make use in the cockpit somewhat easier. However, it’s worth noting that the iPad Pro is about 70 percent larger than an iPad Air 2, which means it’ll take up a lot more space in your cockpit. In addition, if you plan to use apps running side by side, the iPad Pro will need to be oriented in the landscape posi- tion, which means it’ll be pretty wide in your lap. Of course you can use it in the portrait orientation, which will display your charts the way you’re used to seeing them, except larger. The iPad Pro comes in three colors — white, gold and Space Gray — and in only three versions. There’s a WiFi-only version (From front) iPad Mini, iPad Air 2 and the new IPad Pro with 32 GB of memory, another with 128 GB and a WiFi and Cellular model with 128 GB of memory. Only the WiFi and Cellular COMING SOON TO A COCKPIT model has built-in navigation, which can use both GPS and GLONASS. The version with cellular radios will work anywhere in the NEAR YOU, THE IPAD PRO world (depending on the carrier you choose) and supports communications on 20 different APPLE’S NEW IPAD PRO COULD GIVE YOU THE SCREEN REAL ESTATE YOU LTE bands as well as most analog and digital cellular systems worldwide. NEED TO MAKE FLYING WITH A TABLET MORE PRODUCTIVE, BUT ON THE Apple has significantly amped up the OTHER HAND, IT’S PRETTY BIG. performance of the iPad Pro. It uses a new processor that gives this tablet performance By Wayne Rash Jr. that Apple says is equivalent to what you’d ex-

50 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2 UPGRADE YOUR PROTECTION. LET FALCON WORK FOR YOU.

the right relationship can help you soar.

PNC AVIATION FINANCE I When it comes to ﬁnancing private aircraft, we know you value decades of aviation expertise, track record and ﬁnancial strength. That’s why aviation clients across the U.S. and Canada choose PNC Aviation Finance to help their business take off. To learn more, visit pnc.com/aviation.

PNC is a registered mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”). Equipment ﬁnancing and leasing products are provided by PNC Equipment Finance, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNC Bank. Aircraft ﬁnancing is provided by PNC Aviation Finance, a division of PNC Equipment Finance, LLC. In Canada, PNC Bank Canada Branch, the Canadian branch of PNC Bank, provides bank deposit, treasury management, lending (including asset- OUR LOCATIONS based lending through its Business Credit division) and leasing products and services (through its Equipment Finance division). Deposits with PNC Bank Canada Branch are not insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation. Deposits with PNC Bank Canada Branch are not EXPERIENCE insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, nor are they guaranteed by the United THE FALCON States Government or any agency thereof. Lending and leasing products and services, as well as certain other banking products and ADVANTAGE services, require credit approval. www.FalconInsurance.com ©2015 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. CIB EF PDF 0715-070-195013

FALL 2015.2 I CONTRAILS I 51 MiPad u ELECTRONICS

During the press conference, Apple executives said that the new A9X processor chip in the iPad Pro is faster than the hardware in 80 percent of the portable computers on the market today. The company used a number of novel approaches to reduce energy demands, including a variable refresh rate on the screen, so that the screen is only refreshed when there’s something happening in a region of the screen. The result is a 10-hour battery life under normal circumstances. The iPad Pro has four speakers engineered to produce significantly more volume than current iPad models. It’s slightly thicker than the current iPad Air 2, and it weighs about the same as the original version of the iPad. The new iPad will ship with iOS 9, which is due out from Apple by the time you read this. The chances are pretty good that you’ll have the new version of iOS on your existing iPad before the Pro comes out. The availability of iOS 9 is important because that version will support the multi-tasking that’s coming on the iPad Pro. That means that app makers will have had plenty of time to update their software to work with the new operating system. So your favorite apps for the cockpit will probably work fine, but you’ll need to confirm that before you depend on them. The ultimate question then becomes, how will all of this work while you’re trying to fly? Will the iPad Pro be unwieldy because of its size? Will tracking multiple applications on the screen become a distraction? Both of those are important questions, and right now we don’t know the answers. When the iPad Pro ships in November those answers should become clearer. I think that the folks who make accessories for pilots will make yoke mounts and kneeboards designed to accommodate the larger size. Perhaps they will make devices that will allow the iPad Pro to switch from portrait to landscape orientation so, if you want to change things, you can. Until then, perhaps the best way to tell if the pect in a good desktop computer. It’s intended In the press conference, Apple showed size will be a problem is to borrow a Microsoft to be used in a work environment in addition users drawing precise lines on existing imag- Surface Pro 3 and see how everything fits. As it to the normal entertainment functions that es. Whether you can accomplish this while happens, the Surface Pro 3 is nearly identi- you probably already use on your iPad. To planning a flight remains to be seen. That cal to the iPad Pro in most ways that matter accomplish this, Apple has designed a new capability is up to the companies that make including multi-tasking, screen resolution, size keyboard that attaches to the long edge of the the applications you plan to use. Apple’s demo and weight. You should be able tablet and which provides a typing experience also featured users creating documents and to tell in short order if this is a fit that’s apparently similar to that on some lap- making sketches. Whether this will work with for you. top computers. Apple is also offering a stylus, the apps you’re using for your flight planning Wayne Rash is based near Washington, called the Apple Pencil, which can be used for remains to be seen because the designer of D.C., where he works as bureau chief and senior columnist for eWEEK. He detail work such as drawing lines that need to the app needs to make it possible. But at least, has been a pilot since 1968. He can be be precise. in this case, the hardware isn’t preventing it. reached at [email protected]

52 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2

centerline HAS YOUR ATTENTION TO PTS SLIPPED? By Neil Singer

One of the pleasures of conducting private-pilot certification check rides is interacting with student-pilots as they attempt to pull together all the myriad pieces of aviation lore they’ve studied so hard, for so long. Nearly everything they need to understand and demonstrate is brand new to them, and they strive earnestly to perform all the tasks and elements of the practical test standards (PTS) without the interference of poor habits formed by years of flight outside the tightly supervised training environment.

These check rides provide for an interesting contrast to my flights have had ample time to point the aircraft away from parked with more highly experienced pilots during initial and recurrent planes and would have been at a low enough speed to allow for a training in light jets. While the jet pilot has the benefit of years of more successful outcome. experience operating high-performance planes and polishing their A lot of emphasis in the PTS is on procedures to help eliminate mechanical flying skills, it’s not uncommon to see that some basics possible runway incursions. have slipped as time away from the critical eye of a CFI passes. The FAA publishes a PTS for every certificate and rating that ex- • “Exhibits procedures to insure clearances/instructions are ists. These documents are detailed roadmaps through the applicable received and recorded.” check ride, specifying in minute detail how every task from the pre- • “Uses a taxi chart during taxi.” flight inspection to shutdown must be performed if the applicant • “Utilizes procedures for eliminating pilot distractions.” is to pass the check ride. A read through the private pilot PTS is a valuable exercise for the long-time pilot who may have drifted from It’s no wonder the FAA places such emphasis on runway-in- the optimal practices with which he or she started flying. cursion avoidance. The deadliest aviation accident in history Starting with the preflight, do you “inspect the airplane with occurred when two 747 aircraft collided on a runway in Tenerife, reference to an appropriate checklist”? You would have grounds Canary Islands. Yet again, as time goes on, I see pilots slip out of to flunk a private pilot check ride if you don’t. Referencing a the habit of jotting down the taxi instructions received, having a checklist doesn’t necessarily mean reading it item-by-item; a taxiway diagram chart displayed during taxi, and ensuring that, once-over at the completion of a “from-memory” preflight in- during taxi, the pilot’s attention is focused only on taxiing. Too spection can be invaluable at catching something overlooked. many pilots are setting up avionics, checking with the passengers, Moving into the aircraft, do you “brief occupants on the use of and reading checklists while the aircraft is moving. safety belts, shoulder harnesses, doors and emergency procedures”? Before takeoff, the PTS expects the pilot to “clear the area” As pilots we are required to give a preflight briefing to passengers, before moving onto the runway. I’ve personally witnessed ATC yet I often see this given short shrift. Imagine the plane has suffered clear an aircraft to depart with a 737 on a quarter-mile final. a runway incursion on takeoff, you are incapacitated, and the cabin Controllers are human, just like pilots, and subject to errors. is filling with smoke. Do your passengers know not just where the Yet some pilots blindly accept that takeoff clearance implies the exits are located, but explicitly how to operate them? Did you point runway is clear, without a visual check to confirm. out exactly where the handle is, and any additional steps needed A last nugget of practical advice comes after shutdown. The appli- for egress? In many jets the shoulder harness, when retracted, can cant should “conduct an appropriate post-flight inspection.” This is a be hidden under the headrest. I’ve often cringed when I’ve briefed particularly common violation with owner/pilots. Once the engines a passenger on behalf of a client about the shoulder harness and are shutdown, the pilot’s mind is off things aviation and focused on heard, “Oh, I never knew that was there!” getting bags unloaded and ground transportation moving along. The taxiing section of the PTS is rich with elements I see slip Yet, if you’re remaining in a remote location for several days in experienced pilots. At the very start of taxi, a pilot should while on a trip, would you want to discover a problem with the air- “perform a brake check immediately after the airplane begins craft at the start or the end of your planned stay? In one case, there moving.” Several years ago, a Citation CJ3 taxied into a parked is likely sufficient time for a maintenance diagnosis and fix; in the King Air because the crew missed that the brake-pump circuit other, a delayed or canceled departure is guaranteed. Five minutes breaker had been pulled and not reset. Had they performed a spent on a post-flight inspection of fluids, filters, tires and potential brake check as soon as the aircraft rolled forward, they would damage can head off hours, or days, of headaches.

54 I CONTRAILS I FALL 2015.2